1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical score position estimating apparatus, a musical score position estimating method, and a musical score position estimating program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the increasing use of robots in human society has been anticipated. Such robots need to be equipped with ways to interact with human beings. Examples of media for realizing such ways include dialogue using languages, music, and eye contact. In particular, music is a promising medium and an important and common factor beyond region or race across human society. For example, it is anticipated that robots will dance to music, sing, or play musical instruments with human beings.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3147846 discloses an image recognition apparatus converting a musical score into two-dimensional image data, removing staff data and bar line data from the image data, and recognizing notes and symbols. JP-A-2006-201278 proposes a method of automatically analyzing the metrical structure of tunes in order to calculate the value of the strength of each beat mark in a piece of music based on the musical score data and a grouping structure analysis result, storing the strength values in storage means in correlation with the beat marks, reading the strength of the beat marks included in each candidate for the metrical structure of the next level from the storage means, summing the values, comparing the total sums of the strength values at the beat marks in the candidates, and selecting a candidate having the largest total sum as the metrical structure of the next level.
However, in JP-A-2006-201278, the position (hereinafter, referred to as a score position) at which an input tune is located in a musical score could not be recognized. That is, the method described in JP-A-2006-201278 has a problem in that it may fail to extract the beat time or the tempo of a piece of music in a performance.